Obedience

As I have continued to process and think about the Youth Bolivia no wait... Panama no wait... Peru no wait... Houston no wait...Dallas trip(you can read about it here or here), I have wondered why God felt so powerfully present on this trip. This trip had students experiencing God in completely new ways. And not in "I had a new thought about how God loves me" new ways. More in the "Someone kept tapping me on the shoulder while we were praying and no was around me I think it was God" sort of ways. 

So, here is the conclusion I've come up with:

The power of almost Bolivia was not in being in Dallas instead of Bolivia. Or in being stuck in Panama and Peru. It was not in being the answer to the prayers of the people at YWAM. All those things were amazing in showing us God and helping us learn to love one another, but they were not "it". It was in our desire to be wholly obedient to God's call in our lives during the trip. Over and over I heard students say things like, "If God doesn't want us in Bolivia, then I don't want to be in Bolivia" and, "God must have something awesome for us somewhere else!" Students desired to see where God wanted them and to go there with all that they had.

Too often, I think we tell God where we will be and expect him to show up there.

Don't get me wrong, he can show up anywhere he pleases! But what if we spent more time listening to his voice and seeking to be obedient to his plan rather than asking him to be obedient to our plan?

What if all of life was lived as an Almost Bolivia mission trip? What if we lived with the desire to be wholly obedient to God's call?

Where is God asking you to obey him?

"Give me Christ or else I die!"